


Silver Stags

by Super_Danvers



Category: Merlin (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Death, Dragons, F/F, Knight!Alex, Magic, Medieval AU, Revenge, Sanvers - Freeform, Sanvers angst, SuperCorp, Supercorp angst, alex and kara angst, background sanvers, blacksmith!maggie, knight!kara, lex luthor isn't an asshole, lillian still is, princess!lena, sanvers au, squire!kara, squire!winn, supercorp au, very gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-06-28 00:07:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15696159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Danvers/pseuds/Super_Danvers
Summary: Being stuck at the bottom of the pile is not an option for the royal squire, Kara Danvers. As she rises in the ranks of knighthood, Kara realises something strangely wrong with the royal princess, Lena that leaves her divided with her loyalty to the crown and her own personal experiences.





	1. Pine Green

 Kara Danvers was eight years old when her father took her to Camelot's annual jousting tournament. With huge baby blue eyes and long blonde hair, the youngest Danvers child was easy to spot sat on the broad shoulders of her father. Her big sister, Alexandra, followed along behind them. She was equally as excited as her younger sister, gawping around the tournament with wonder. Nobody could exactly blame either of them. Camelot's jousting tournament was the event of the year, everybody in the kingdom turned up. It was always huge and exciting, and Kara never got to go. Too loud her Papa would say.

But now she was eight and she was a big girl, which meant she could handle loud noises. Therefore, she could go to the tournament. Spending her years listening to Alex's wild stories of the sounds of steel clashing, the neighing of horses in the air had sent the young blonde crazy with excitement. Now she got to experience it, it was even better than before. Huge tents of different colours and flags towered over Kara, and horses of all different sizes and colours galloped past. Music filled the air and exploded in Kara's ears, drowning out any other sound. Food stalls were everywhere, surrounding all the sports going on and Kara was pointing to all of them excitedly. 

"C'mon Papa, let's get some food!" She giggled excitedly. 

Jeremiah Danvers laughed his familiar deep rumbling laugh, his hand patting Kara's knee on his shoulder. "Not right now, Kara. Wouldn't you rather see the jousting?" He suggested with a smile. "They'll be starting soon." 

Kara gasped with excitement, patting her father's head. Alex grinned, taking her father's hand. The jousting was her favourite part. With another laugh, Jeremiah led his daughters towards the jousting ring. As they pushed through the crowds, Kara noticed how some people would stop when her father walked past and shake his hand, muttering some words of thanks. She didn't know what they were thanking him for, but she was proud regardless. Proud to be sat on the shoulders of a man so well appreciated. Looking down at Alex, who was still holding Jeremiah's hand, she seemed to feel the same. Alex felt particularly special as each man who thanked her father commented on how much she looked like him. In her opinion, Alex looked nothing like her father. Whilst she had dark red hair, a slim face and hazel-coloured eyes, Jeremiah had a strong set jaw with dark eyes and thick curly hair. Kara looked nothing like either of them. 

After what seemed like forever, Jeremiah finally stopped shaking hands with men and the trio entered the stands of the jousting ring. It was about twenty metres long, set out in a rectangular shape with two entrances on each end. Straight down the middle was a wooden bar that reached most of the length of the ring. Even from where Kara was sat, she could spy little ridges in the middle of it where lances had smacked into it and chipped off in impact. 

Jeremiah had bagged seats opposite the royal box of which the rulers of Camelot had already arrived. King Lionel sat almost directly opposite Jeremiah from across the ring, Queen Lillian sat by his side. Jeremiah pointed them out to his daughters proudly.

“See the royal family, kids?” He smiled.

Alex, being a much bigger girl than Kara, could see them easily and smiled. However, with so many people jostling excitedly in their seats, the little blonde struggled to see where her father was pointing. Alex noticed and helped Kara to see by holding her up. The little girl peered at the royal box curiously. The King and Queen were a familiar sight, their insignias could be seen on practically every flag in Camelot and its neighbouring villages but the two children sat beside them Kara had never seen before.

One was a boy, maybe two or three years older than Alex so about fourteen/fifteen, with pale skin and thick black hair. Above sharp, heightened cheekbones rested a pair of piercing blue eyes, so blue that they could easily match Kara’s. They were so bright, they looked almost if they were staring straight back at Kara. Alex noticed her baby sister’s fascination with the boy and grinned.

“That’s Prince Alexander, Kara.” She provided helpfully. Alex was helpful like that. To Kara, it was like she knew almost everything. Anything she didn’t know she would either ask Papa or a book and then would report her findings back excitedly.

“Alexandra?” She echoed.

Alex giggled, nudging her sister’s shoulder. “No, not Alexandra, Kara.” She said patiently. “Alexander. Lex for short. He’ll be king someday.”

Kara nodded her head, understanding. She turned her attention to the person on Prince Lex’s left. It was a girl, maybe a little younger than Kara, possibly around six or seven. Like Lex, the girl had incredibly pale skin, almost like marble. Her raven black hair spilled out below her shoulders, woven with silver braids and white roses. Yet again, just like Lex, she had piercing eyes that seemed to be staring straight back at Kara. Only hers were green, Kara’s favourite colour. The colour of new pine trees after a long summer, just beginning to sprout for winter. Had it not been for the obvious age difference, one might’ve mistaken the two children for twins.

“What about her?” The little blonde asked with interest.

Alex smiled again, happy to help Kara out. “That’s Princess Lena, Lex’s brother. She’s nearly the same age as you, Kar.” She supplied, helping her sister sit down again.

“What’s… _.Lena_ …short for?” Kara asked innocently as she sat back down onto the bench.

Jeremiah laughed as a crinkle formed between both girls’ eyebrows as they tried to figure out what the name Lena might possibly be short for. He squeezed his daughter’s shoulders gently with his huge hands.

“Try not to have a fit you two, that’s just her name.” He assured. Alex’s crinkle cleared as she nodded in understanding, and a small smile came to Kara’s face. “What’s that look for sweetheart?”

Kara glanced up at her Papa. “Lena is a pretty name.” She said with a tone that demanded no argument or protest to that fact.

Jeremiah rolled his eyes, ruffling Kara’s messy blonde hair whilst Alex smiled gently. She often wondered that her younger sister was too kind for this world. She’d say hello to anyone, from little old ladies to towering great knights. Heck, Kara would say hello to a dragon if given the chance. Shame they didn’t exist anymore.

As if reading her thoughts, Kara looked up to her sister. “Alex? Do you think we’ll ever see a dragon?”

Alex chuckled, nudging Kara’s shoulder playfully. “All the dragons are gone, Kara.” She answered.

“Or so they say.” Jeremiah added. Alex rolled her eyes. Her father always had a flare for dramatic storytelling. “Maybe one survived the Great Purge.”

Kara cocked her head to the side. “The Great Purge?”

“That’s when King Lionel came to the throne. He announced the Great Purge which got rid of all the dragons and wizards because he didn’t like magic.” Alex piped up.

“That’s why there’s no dragons?”

“That’s why there’s no dragons.” Alex confirmed grimly. Truth be told, Alex liked dragons just as much as Kara did. Dragon stories were her favourite. Huge, scaled creatures that could fly and spit fire was something that fascinated both girls.

Kara looked down at her lap. “I like dragons.” She said, a sad tone hinting her little voice.

Jeremiah held his daughters’ hands gently, squeezing them comfortingly. “Don’t be down girls.” He said, nodding to the now bustling crowd around them. “We’ve still got jousting.”

That seemed to perk Kara up as she bounded back up onto her seat to see better. True to word, the crowds had grown significantly larger as two horses entered the ring from the two entrances.

The first horse was a white mare, and her rider wore black armour. Out of his helmet was a single red plume that blew gently in the wind. The signia emblazoned on his banners was a pair of red lions against a black background.

 The other one was a black mare, with a rider dressed in silver and dark green, and when they entered a loud cheer came up from the crowds. Behind him walked two squires holding his banners, holding the dark green flags up high. His insignia was a silver stag, rearing up with a shocked look on its face. Alex pointed to the rider as his horse trotted on the spot excitedly.

“That’s Ser Valient, he’s the royal rider.” She told Kara.

Kara nodded and looked to the royal family across from her. Lionel was watching with some interest, leaning forward in his seat slightly. Lillian remained stiff, her eyes trained only on her children. Lex was also staying still in his seat, although he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his eyes darted from horse to horse excitedly. But Kara’s attention wasn’t on Lex. She watched with curiosity as Lena smiled brightly when Ser Valient rode past.

Kara wasn’t sure whether it was the bright green eyes or the porcelain white smile, but Kara couldn’t look away from the other girl. For a brief second, Lena’s eyes almost seemed to lock with Kara’s and her smile faltered. Kara quickly looked away, looking like she’d just been caught red-handed.

Instead she turned her attention back to the jousting riders. She’d been so lost looking at Lena that she’d completely missed the announcement of Ser Gaered and Ser Valient’s first run. The two horses charged towards each other, the riders aiming their lances for the other. As they came closer and closer, Alex’s hand tightened on Kara’s and everyone seemed to hold their breath. Just before their lances met in the middle, Kara had to glance up at the princess just one more time.

Lena’s eyes stared right back at her, the intense green burning into sky blue. A little smile reached her young features and for a moment, Kara almost thought she was waving at her.

The two children were thrown out of each other’s gazes but the ear-splitting roar of the crowd as the two lances smashed into steel. Kara covered her ears, not liking the noise, but kept her eyes open. Ser Valient’s lance had chipped off at the tip, but he had knocked Ser Gaered clean off his horse. Jeremiah and Alex were cheering, having not noticed Kara’s distress at all the noise. As soon as it died down, she quickly lowered her hands. She didn’t want her Papa to think she wasn’t ready to be at the tournaments.

The jousting went on for about an hour until they had an interval which involved two knights coming out into the ring. Lillian left with Lena, possibly to go and clean up or something, but Lionel and Lex remained. Despite Kara not actually knowing who Lena was until ten minutes beforehand, she found herself disappointed that the other girl had left. Not really interested in Lionel and Lex, Kara looked back to the two knights.

She and Alex watched with awe as the two skilfully sparred against each other, their silver steel swords clashing and glinting in the sunlight. Kara admired how they seemed to read each other’s body language and managed to predict their strikes.

She turned to her Papa, her eyes sparkling with determination. “Papa? How do I become a knight?”

 

* * *

 

 

***18 years later***

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara sighed as Angus rudely shoved his nose into his food bucket. Her day had been long, and she knew it was only going to get longer. It had started that morning, when Winn had kicked her awake before she overslept, with a rather forceful foot to the ass. Out of all the places she could’ve been kicked, why he had to choose her ass was beyond her. Because of this, it had hurt all day to ride out with Prince Lex.

He’d noticed her bad mood, but hadn’t said anything about it, thankfully. Being a royal squire could be hard, he understood the meaning of hard work. He’d asked Kara to join him on the hunt today, only for him to not bring anything back which put him in a bad mood. That had led to him driving Angus home particularly hard, leaving the horse tired and impatient.

Without much fuss, Kara had taken Angus back to the stable and washed him off, then prepared his dinner for the evening. As he ate, Kara cleaned his stall out a bit as she waited for Winn to come back from cleaning out some of the stock rooms. As a fellow squire, Winn was Kara’s best friend and he was always content to pick up some of her chores for her.

Kara sighed again, stroking Angus’ back gently. She was so tired and all her muscles ached from saddle sore. And she still had to take Angus to the local blacksmith.

She nearly jumped when Winn’s familiar mop of curly hair appeared behind the stable door. “Hi Kara!” He grinned. “How’s your butt?”

“Screw you.” Kara replied, only slightly playful in her tone.

“What’s up?” The brunette asked, noticing his friend’s tired attitude.

Kara shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Oh, nothing. I’ve just got a lot to do.” She began counting on her fingers. “Take Angus to the blacksmith, clean Lex’s sword, make his bed, catch up with Alex and then take the dogs for a walk.”

Winn chuckled, leaning in the doorway. “Well, I can help you out there. How about this, you take Angus and I’ll do the dogs and swords?”

Kara smiled, and nodded. “Thank you. What would I do without you?” She said gratefully.

“Be alone forever, tired and definitely not maintaining those looks.” Winn teased. “By the way, Alex is at the blacksmith’s so two in one there.”

“Oh brilliant, thanks.” Kara grinned, feeling a little better. She took Angus’ headcollar and clipped the rope on, then looked to Winn. “I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Flying Dragon?”

“Sure thing.” She finished.

Winn waved his goodbyes and turned to walk back into the castle. Kara watched him go briefly before tugging on Angus rope slightly and leading him out into the town. Camelot on a Saturday night was bustling with people, many of them in preparation for market the next day. Because Kara got Sundays and some Mondays off, she would usually occupy the town. Although she didn’t earn a huge amount, the royal family paid her enough so that she could go to the market each week with her sister.

Walking through the town, Kara received a few waves from young children who recognised the silver stag upon her sleeve. She returned them kindly, knowing that when out and about without Lex she had to keep up good appearances.

The walk to the blacksmith wasn’t far, luckily because not only was Kara’s ass hurting but the blisters on her feet were causing her bother too. Kara tied Angus to the post outside and knocked. The door swung open almost immediately.

“Little Danvers, hey!”

Maggie Sawyer was a welcome sight for sore eyes, her smile welcome and friendly. She was short, with tanned skin and long dark brown hair. Kara almost never saw Maggie out of her work clothes; her black apron, dark green shirt that she kept rolled to her elbows, grey trousers and knee length leather boots.

“Hi Maggie.” Kara greeted, enveloping the little blacksmith in a hug.

Maggie had been a friend of the Danvers family since she was fourteen years old when she’d become Jeremiah’s apprentice and then took over the business when he had died three years beforehand. She was a very close friend to them, and Kara always made sure to remind her of that. Alex did more than remind her, in fact it was rare Kara saw the two apart.

“Hey Kara.” Alex greeted from behind Maggie, smiling.

Kara glanced to her sister. Alex was wearing her armour, having been out training all day. Her sister had become a part of the Kings Guard four years ago, meaning she was an elite knight and trusted greatly by Lionel and Lex. Looking at Alex with her impressive silver armour and the stag intricately patterned onto her chest in front of a green shield with her sword sheathed at her side, Kara couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

In order to become a knight, one had to win Camelot’s annual tournament. To become part of the Kings Guard it had to be a clean win, which Alex had done without even making it look hard. Being four years younger than Alex, Kara still had a lot of training to do but she hoped that Lex would let her compete.

Alex wrapped her sister in a hug. “How was your day?” She asked kindly.

Kara shrugged. “Not bad. What about you? Slay any dragons?” She joked weakly. Although Kara loved her sister dearly, that little niggle of jealousy was always present.

Alex chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Report of a sorcerer in the ruined castle, is all.”

Maggie scoffed. “And they needed the Kings Guard for _that?”_

Like Kara, Maggie didn’t agree with the Great Purge’s outcomes. In her opinion it had been murder on a massive scale. It seemed to be a part of the slight strain on Alex’s relationship with her and Kara. Jeremiah had died three years ago of what was declared: _unnatural circumstances_. Kara hadn’t believed magic, but Alex thought different and it seemed to be her revenge plan ever since.

“They needed _me_ for that.” Alex’s tone left no room to argue as it issued its warning to the two other woman.

Maggie looked down, pulling her gloves off. She sighed before renewing a smile and looking back to Kara. “So, Danvers, what can I help you with?”

“Angus needs shoeing.” Kara replied, gesturing to the waiting stallion outside.

Maggie nodded. “Let me just finish with Solo and then you can be on your way.” She indicated to Alex’s chestnut gelding stood in her smithy.

The tiny blacksmith pulled her gloves back on and went back to work quietly, glaring at Alex as she walked past. Alex sighed, looking to Kara.

“Great, now she’s mad at me.”

“The woman doesn’t like killing, can you blame her?” Kara argued calmly. Since their father’s death, the two sisters didn’t see as much eye to eye as they used to. Still, they did love each other despite their differences.

“I didn’t kill anyone.” Alex reminded her, resting her wrist on her sword.

“You arrested him. The penalty for magic is death.” Kara pointed out, raising an eyebrow. She sighed, shaking her head. “Just…try not to pick up every rogue wizard spotting. You don’t want people spotting your revenge plot.”

Alex’s eyes flared angrily, but she didn’t say anything. Huffing through her nose, she ran a gloved hand through her long red hair. “Are you going to the Flying Dragon tonight?”

“With Winn, yeah.” Kara nodded.

“See you there?” The tone in Alex’s voice was quiet and hopeful. Like Kara, Alex had a talent for looking apologetic with just her eyes.

Kara sighed and giggled. “Of course.” She wrapped her sister in another quick hug. When they pulled away, Maggie reappeared.

“All done, Alex.” She announced. “You’re free to go.”

Alex smiled at the joke, leaning down to place a thankful kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. “Thank you.” She mumbled. “I’ll see you later?”

“Sure you will, Danvers.” Maggie replied with a small smile.

Alex smiled to see Maggie wasn’t angry at her (or at least not completely) before waving her goodbyes and leading her horse out and back to the castle.

Kara went outside and lead Angus into the smithy whilst Maggie got everything ready. The blacksmith pulled out her tools before looking to Kara. “You might want to go do something else, I might be a while.” 

Kara nodded. “Ah that’s good because I need to clear up Lex’s room a bit.”

Maggie chuckled. “God can that boy even saddle up a horse?”

Kara punched her shoulder playfully. “Maggie he’s five years older than me and two years older than you!” She laughed.

“But can he saddle a horse?” Maggie teased.

Kara rolled her eyes dramatically, chuckling. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

Maggie waved goodbye as Kara left the smithy and headed back to the castle. Lex’s bedroom wasn’t as much as a mess as it usually was, thankfully, although the prince had tossed his boots across the room. Kara knew he would be in court with his father right now, so she got to cleaning quietly.

Lex’s dogs, Arthur and Harry, were gone with Winn so Kara took the opportunity to clean their beds of the chicken feathers and shed hair. As she patted them down, there was a small knock at the door. Kara dropped the bed, squeaking out in surprise.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Kara’s heart dropped at the voice. It was the voice she heard almost every day, the one she never had the courage to reply to. It belonged to the person that Lex would talk about endlessly, and the name she would have to hear every day. Very slowly, Kara turned around.

“Um, hey….your highness.” Kara attempted. “I, um, you didn’t startle me.”

Princess Lena stood in the doorway of her brother’s room, smiling gently. Now at twenty-four years of age, Lena had grown into a stunning young woman. Her long dark hair spilled down her back, thick and wavy. Her skin was still white like porcelain and she didn’t have a single flaw. Lena was dressed in a deep purple dress that trailed out behind her.

“I think I might’ve done.” Lena stated, her voice smooth and calm with a smile tugging at the ends of her mouth. “You’re Kara, right? Lex’s squire?”

Kara was a tad offended that she’d been Lex’s squire for two years and Lena didn’t know her name, but looking at her, Kara was at a lost for words. The woman was looking at her with a kind smile, her face calm and easy.

“Uh, yes. Can I- help you….with something?” Kara didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she couldn’t get her words out.

Lena blinked a couple of times, noting how nervous she was making the blonde. “Yes. If you could saddle up my horse tomorrow morning, I’d be grateful.”

Kara frowned internally, but nodded. “As you wish.”

Lena smiled again and her green eyes sparkled. They were as intense as the day Kara had first seen her, although she was ninety percent sure that Lena didn’t remember that. Sometimes she would catch Lena looking at her during court like she was trying to remember who she was, as if she’d seen her before and she was trying to remember where from. But she never spoke to Kara. Not once in the two years that Kara had worked in the castle had Lena once addressed her brother’s squire.

“Oh, and Kara?” She said, turning to leave.

“Yes?” Kara straightened nervously. What the hell was this woman doing to her?

“You’ve got dog hair on you.” She said pointing to Kara’s chest.

Kara spluttered looking down to see a huge ball of Arthur’s hair had fallen from the bed as she had dropped it and had settled onto her chest. With a small laugh, Lena left, her green eyes never leaving Kara’s.

It took a whole three minutes before Kara moved again, brushing the fur off of her chest. It felt like a spell had just been lifted from her, allowing her to move again. The butterflies that had been bouncing around her stomach suddenly faded, and Kara no longer felt dizzy.

With another exhale, Kara got back to her work, being careful not to get anymore dog hair on her.


	2. The Flying Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Lena makes her strange request, Kara rushes to The Flying Dragon for some much needed advice.
> 
> *apologies for how short this chapter is. I promise the next one will be a big gay ass chapter*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to say this now, because people forget. This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, therefore characters may be a little different. I decided to give a slightly different take on Alex, to just give a little edge to her character. Fear not, I'm not going to kill my precious baby but please don't send me hate if it's not up to your standard of what Alex should be or is usually written like.  
> I accept constructive criticism because I love to improve my writing just please be kind. 
> 
> The reason I did this is because I've always wanted to see what Alex's darker side is like, and how I can press the buttons on the relationship she has with her sister. After Jeremiah's betrayal in Season 2, we do see that Alex distances herself from Kara after the two disagree and I wanted to expand on that. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

Lex came back from court in a seemingly better mood. The prince and Kara got on pretty well, he was almost like a big brother to her although sometimes he could be a bit of an ass. He swaggered into his room, where Winn had just returned his newly cleaned sword. His dogs remained in their beds, but their ears perked up to see their master return. Lex greeted them each by rubbing their ears fondly.

“Good evening, Kara.” He greeted kindly. “Feeling better?”

Kara smiled back in her usual friendly manner. “Yes, sire.” She said as she finished adjusting the covers on his bed.

“That’s good to hear. You seemed down this morning.” He said. One thing that Kara knew about Lex was that he was almost criminally observational. He could spot anyone’s mood just from the smallest inclinations.

“Oh no, I’m fine.” Kara reassured, although she knew that wouldn’t convince Lex. “You won’t need me tomorrow right?”

Lex shook his head with a smile, brushing off Kara’s fib. “No, thank you Kara. What are you going to be up to, hm?”

Kara smiled. Lex was kind, and he always knew how to charm. He was rarely looking for something in return, he just wanted to make a good impression on who would be his future royal subjects. The blonde straightened up. “I’m going out to the market with my sister.”

“Ah, Alex, yes. Is she still with that blacksmith?” He asked. Kara nodded, earning an amused chuckle from the prince. “Damn, _just_ when I thought I still had a chance.”

Kara laughed at his humour. “Oh, and your sister asked if I could saddle her horse up tomorrow.”

Lex raised an eyebrow. “What did she ask you that for?”

Kara shrugged. “I don’t know, sire. I’m surprised she knew my name.”

Lex chuckled with his usual deep laugh, slapping his hand on Kara’s shoulder jokingly. “My sister is an enigmatic, I’m sure she’s known your name for quite a while without you even realising it.” He hummed. “Besides, I’m sure we’ve both seen the way she’s looked at you, hm?”

Kara froze under Lex’s grip and looked away. She squirmed out of his hold and plumped his pillows up again. The butterflies that had been in her stomach only half an hour ago seemed to reignite themselves and her heart began to pound against her ribs again. Kara brushed him off with a scoff and a weak smile.

“I need to go and get Angus from Maggie’s.” She said, her voice jittering with nerves.

“Oh, alright.” Lex replied, turning away from Kara. For such a charmer, Lex could sometimes say things he didn’t mean. “I’ll see you on Monday, Danvers.”

“Goodbye, sire.”

Kara hurried out of the room, trying to hide the blush that came to her cheeks. She was sure Lex saw, but she didn’t want him too. Jokes aside, when Lex said things about Lena, he knew the effect it would have on his squire. With his all-seeing eyes, Lex knew how funny Kara would act in the presence of the royal princess.

As Kara walked down the halls towards the exit for town, something flashed in the corner of her eye. Her head turned with a snap to see what it was. With a small gasp, Kara was faced with Lena stood in the other hallway, facing out a window. Hearing the gasp, Lena looked to Kara and chuckled gently.

“Is this going to become a habit?” She said, sniffing with humour slightly.

Kara sputtered, looking down at her hands nervously. Lena noticed how the blonde fiddled with them and wouldn’t meet her eye. Raising an eyebrow, she spoke again.

“Kara, are you alright?” She asked gently.

The squire looked up slowly. She had bitten her lower lip, trying to stop it from quivering in a nervous panic. There was something about those green eyes, Kara just couldn’t get them out of her head. She glanced Lena up and down as she dragged her head upwards to look at the princess.

“Um…yeah, I’m fine.” She said slowly. “Sorry. Yes! I’m fine! Perfectly fine!”

Lena smiled. “Well that’s good to hear. Listen, do you want to maybe….accompany me, tomorrow?” The princess attempted, speaking with her hands slightly.

Kara’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open, stunned by the suggestion. The two barely knew each other and now Lena was asking her to ride with her? Kara continued to fiddle with her hands. “Oh, my Lady, I’d love to but- um…the thing is I’m out with my sister tomorrow. It’s my day off.” She explained.

“Oh, I see. Sorry.” Lena said, taking her turn to look down at her hands. “I’ll ask Winslow to saddle Caoimhe up tomorrow morning.”

“No no it’s fine.” Kara reassured, then chuckled, rubbing her hand against the back of her neck. “Winn is crap at saddling horses, always gets the girth the wrong way around.”

Lena laughed, a little louder than she meant to, and ended up covering her mouth with her hand. Kara was almost disappointed to see her cover her smile, she thought it was beautiful.

“Well okay then, only if it doesn’t hold you up at all.”

Kara waved a dismissive hand. “Not at all, I’m meant to do as you tell me.”

“What _Lex_ is meant to tell you.” Lena corrected coolly.

“I’m under command of the entire Luthor family.” Kara countered a little more defiantly, raising a cheeky eyebrow. “I do what you _and_ your family tell me.”

Lena rolled her eyes dramatically and smiled, this time lowering her hand. “Well, maybe another time you’ll join me?” She suggested.

Kara grimaced a smile and nodded. “Of course.”

Lena nodded and waved her arm in dismissal. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Before Kara could reply, Lena turned and walked away down the hallway, only stopping to brush a piece of dust off of a suit of armour and then disappearing around the corner. Kara watched her go, questioning what the hell that conversation was.

 

Winn nearly dropped his beer when Kara practically knocked him over as she crashed into their usual booth of The Flying Dragon. Maggie and Alex jumped as Winn was knocked aside by the blonde.

“Are you okay?” The redhead frowned, lifting her beer to her lips. Alex had removed her armour and now wore her usual dark green tunic with the long-sleeved black undershirt.

Kara straightened up a little, fixing her hair as she did so. She plonked her elbows on the table messily, earning a look of disgust from her sister. “There’s something up with Princess Lena.” She declared, just a tad too loud.

“Lower your voice.” Alex hissed, glancing around the pub. Being one of the three bars in Camelot, you never really knew who was in it and who might be listening. “What do you mean there’s something up with Lena?”

“Okay, so today, she showed up in Lex’s bedroom after Winn left and she asked if I would get her horse ready for tomorrow morning.” Kara explained dramatically, using her hands to make sweeping gestures.

Maggie raised an eyebrow and glanced at Winn. “Isn’t that your job?” 

Winn frowned. “I’m her squire, yes, but she sent me home early. Something about letting me have a nice weekend. I thought she would’ve told Sam if she needed anything. She usually does.” He said with a curious expression on his face. “I rarely talk to Lena.”

“Sounds like she trusts her lady-in-waiting quite a bit then.” Maggie pointed out. “Maybe she couldn’t find her and you were the closest she could get.”

Kara shook her head erratically. “No no no, that’s not all, see. Lena asked if I wanted to go out riding _with_ her.”

The trio exchanged a surprised glance, a mix of raised eyebrows and crinkled noses. Maggie frowned, drinking her beer thoughtfully. Winn remained silent, and Alex had a dark look in her eye. She set her own beer down, swallowing hard.

“What was your answer?” She asked, a curious tone lacing her voice. “Remember, it’s your day off tomorrow.”

Kara nodded. “I haven’t forgotten. I said I’d saddle her horse up for her, but I was going to be out with you and that it was my day off.” She assured. “Then she said _‘some other time’_ ”

Maggie let out a bark of laughter, jostling the serious expression off her girlfriend’s. Winn grinned, wiggling his eyebrows whilst Kara stared around at them, confused.

“What?”

Maggie raised her beer up to her lips again. “I think the little lady is asking you out.” She smirked.

Kara frowned. “ _What?_ No she wasn’t!” She half-shouted.

Maggie laughed again, enjoying the teasing. Alex nudged her arm, a small smile playing on her own lips. “You should’ve agreed.” She said. Then she let go of her beer and made air quotations. “Should’ve seen what she was _up_ to.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Well, after I said I couldn’t, she invited me for another time in the future.”

Maggie beamed, slapping one strong hand on the table loudly and hooting with laughter. It caught other regulars’ attention to which Alex quickly remedied by clamping a hand over Maggie’s mouth. The hand was quickly retracted with disgust.

“Ew, Mags, did you just lick me?”

Kara and Winn grimaced, but the blacksmith grinned wickedly. “So gay, all of you.” She stated with a shrug. “Seriously, Kara, you should see what she wants from you.”

“Two guesses as to what you think it is.” Alex hummed, nudging Maggie’s arm jokingly.

Kara rolled her eyes again. “I imagine she probably just wants company.”

Winn shook his head, stabbing his finger on the table to make his point. “I doubt it. She spends most of her time with Sam and if its not Sam, its Lex. Those three are thicker than thieves.”

Kara bit her lip, worrying it as she tried to think of some other reason as to why Lena wanted her to go out riding with her. After a moment, she spoke again. “Maybe she wants me to keep her safe?” She suggested honestly.

“You don’t think she’d ask for Alex, or any of the other knights?” Winn frowned, gesturing to the redhead across from him. “Perhaps she just wants a new friend. Talking to four people your entire life must be pretty boring.”

Kara blinked, knowing he was right. But still, the thought annoyed her. Why did Lena want to spend time with her? Someone she had never exchanged words with, let alone kind ones, wanted to go out for a ride with her? It didn’t make sense.

She kept her head down for the rest of the evening, only perking up a little when they ordered food. Every so often, she’d check out the bar to see how active it was. It was slightly busy because the men from market were starting to droop in from finishing their preparations for tomorrow. As it began to get rowdy like it always did, Winn called it a night and Kara accompanied him back to the castle to return to their living quarters whilst Alex went back to Maggie’s smithy.

The castle was lit up by the dim glow of the torches, the courtyard almost silent apart from the occasional whinny of a horse or hoot from an owl. Winn and Kara walked in silence, both too tired and drunk to make any kind of conversation.

They bid quiet goodbyes before going to their chambers. Kara’s chambers were only down the corridor from Lex’s room, and weren’t exactly as luxurious as his. It consisted of a dresser, a small table and chair with a small double bed. There in the corner, was Kara’s armchair. At least a decade old, the dark red cushions were sagged and practically caked in dust. Feathers were coming out of the faded pink pillow as the seams held together for dear life. 

Kara flopped into it, breathing in its familiar scent of musty mint and lavender and smiling wistfully. Apart from her bed, her chair was her favourite place to be. As per usual, the blonde draped her long legs over one arm whilst cuddling her cushion close to her chest. 

Her head lolled back as she stayed up at her pale green ceiling, Lena still on her mind. It didn’t help that the green that was decorated all around the castle was the exact same green as Lena’s eyes. The colour of a forest as the sun broke over dawn.

Kara sighed deeply, fiddling with the silver band on the index finger of her right hand. Leaning back, the blonde fell asleep, still thinking about Lena.


	3. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Lena goes out riding, Kara is confused by the Princess' mood when she returns.

Kara woke the next morning, still in her armchair. She groaned as she stood up, straightening out her back with a few clicks. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Kara got changed into some fresh clothes which was another green tunic with a faded red undershirt.

The sun outside was just starting to come out as Kara made her way down to the castle kitchen, snagging two apples off of the chef before bounding out to the stables. She knew the Luthor family probably wouldn’t wake up for another half hour and they would eat breakfast first, so she had plenty of time to get Lena’s horse ready before she could go and meet up with Alex.

The blonde started by cleaning out Angus’ stable again, guessing that Lex would probably go out on a ride too. The black shire sniffed Kara’s cheek affectionately, earning a laugh and half of her apple which she suspected what he had really done it for. Doing her best to shrug off the giant horse’s affections, Kara exited his stable and wandered over to the tap with his water bucket. Filling it up till it nearly spilled over the top, Kara turned and-

“Good morning, Kara.”

Kara dropped the bucket and water went everywhere. Lena stood a few metres away, a bemused smile on her face. The blonde’s jaw dropped open slightly at the other woman’s outfit. The princess wore a dark dress, coal grey, with a green cloak fixed around it. The hem of the cloak was fur, wolf by this distance, and trailed on the ground behind her. The insignia of the Luthor household was emblazoned on the pendant that held the cloak together, sealed in polished silver.

“Oh, uh, _oh Rao_.” Kara hissed under her breath, then stood up properly to bow. “Good morning, my lady.”

Lena giggled a little as Kara averted her eyes as best she could, trying to hide the blush that had come to her cheeks. “Please, Kara, just call me Lena.” She said. “Sorry I made you jump, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Kara breathed a relieved smile, although her heart was still jittering in its panic. “I think you did.” She answered, bending to pick up the water. “Oh Rao, I need to do this again.”

Lena raised an eyebrow, catching Kara’s words. She bent down quicker than Kara, getting to the bucket before her. She handed it to the squire. “You pray to the old gods?” She asked. Her tone wasn’t unkind, but it wasn’t friendly either.

Kara took the bucket, holding it to her chest. Glancing at the expression on Lena’s face, it seemed curious but there was something reserved about it, as if she wasn’t going to like her answer. “Um, yeah. My dad was a big believer, my sister too. She says they helped her win her Kings Guard tournament.” Kara provided, feeling like she was rambling.

Lena’s jaw tightened slightly, and Kara noticed how the muscle pulsed as she did. A glazed look came over the dark-haired woman’s face for a second and then she seemed to wash it clear, renewing it with another smile. “King’s Guard, hm? You must be very proud.”

Kara turned, shoving the bucket back under the tap before looking back to Lena. “Oh, yeah, really proud.” She said, forcing a smile.

Seeing that Kara wasn’t going to elaborate, Lena raised her chin a little. “So, is my horse ready?”

The blonde’s eyes widened slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be up so early. I still need to brush her off, and saddle her up.” She apologised. “I’ll get onto it now.”

Lena just smiled wistfully as the squire picked up the full bucket and walked back to Angus’ stable. She put it in quickly and then headed down to Lena’s horse, Ghost. The steele grey mare raised her hand, pricking her ears at the sight of Kara and Lena. The princess reached out, her fingers touching Ghost’s nose delicately.

Kara smiled as the mare sent hot breath back onto Lena’s hand, getting a happy laugh from the dark-haired woman. “She likes you.”

“I should hope so.” Lena replied. When she noticed the squire beaming at her, a tinge of pink reaching her cheeks. “Look, don’t worry about brushing her, I’ll do it when I get back.”

“Oh no, don’t worry I can do it!” Kara protested, hating to disappoint. When she’d been a trainee, pissing off Lex was probably one of the worst things to do, and she’d been paranoid ever since. “What time do you plan on getting back?”

But Lena waved a dismissive hand, shaking her head with a smile. “No, thank you Kara. I’ll be back later. I’ve already imposed on your day enough.” She said.

Kara opened her mouth but Lena waved her hand again, and the blonde found herself unable to talk. It wasn’t just that Lena was so offensively beautiful, but Kara’s tongue physically refused to form words. She remained silent until she saddled Ghost and helped Lena to mount up.

“Thank you, Kara.”

Every time Lena said Kara’s name, she always emphasised on it, making butterflies form in the blonde’s stomach. Seeing her mounted upon the grey, sitting delicately in the intricately patterned saddle, Lena held even more of a majestic atmosphere. With a slow, gracious blink Lena glanced down at Kara, and the squire found herself able to speak again.

Lena didn’t say another word. She gave Ghost a gentle squeeze with her knees and the mare galloped out of the courtyard and towards the town’s bridge exit. Being able to see the bridge from the courtyard, Kara watched her disappear into the forest and out of sight. With a confused, yet contented sigh, she turned and headed back to Angus.

 

* * *

 

 

Alex sighed as Kara went on and on about Princess Lena. She wasn’t really paying attention to her younger sister’s ramblings, focusing more on trying to find a new sword. The annual tournament was coming up in a few months, and a King’s Guard demonstrated was apparently required.

“A-and then….and then I couldn’t speak!” Kara exclaimed beside her, not paying attention to the fact her sister was more interested in the silver she held between her hands. “Like I physically couldn’t speak, Alex! It was like magic!”

At the word, Alex spun on her heel, dropping the object back onto the marketeer’s table. She held Kara tightly by her upper arm. “Kara, that is one hell of an accusation.” She warned.

Kara gasped at how tightly her sister held her in place, shocked how angry her sister suddenly looked. Kara knew Alex didn’t like to discuss magic ever since their father had died, but she’d never been so outright about it.

“Alex, let go. You’re hurting me.” Kara said quietly.

“You can’t talk about magic in places like this.” Alex reminded her sister, letting go of her arm and gesturing to the bustling market place around them. “We don’t know who could be listening.”

Kara frowned, nowhere in Camelot was safe to talk about magic according to Alex. She shrugged. “I said it was like magic, Alex, not that it actually was.”

Alex glared at her sister, and turned back to the swords. Kara stared at her sister’s back sadly. Since their father had died, Alex had become cruel and hard. She softened whenever Maggie was around, but Kara knew that her sister was always hurting.

“Princess Lena does not have magic.” The redhead muttered quietly.

Kara rolled her eyes. She didn’t believe Lena had magic either, but there was something strange about her. The way her eyes sparkled like emeralds, the way her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, the way her teeth beamed when she smiled, it drove Kara’s heart crazy. Lena may not have magic, but she certainly did something to Kara.

The blonde tried to shake her mind clear of the princess, and focus on the peaches that were on sale. Most of the rest of their shopping together was accompanied by silence until Alex spoke again.

“Have you done any training recently?” She asked quietly, inspecting a cloak curiously. “Tournament is three months away.”

Kara shook her head, keeping her eyes trained away from her sister. “No, I need to do more.”

“I can help you later if you want.” Alex offered, glancing to her sister. “You need the practise with your swords.”

The blonde dragged her eyes to her sister, and forced a smile. “I know. Give me a hand?” She asked, tilting her head.

Alex grinned, glad to see she’d cleared the air with Kara a little. “You don’t need to ask.”

 

* * *

 

 

The two sisters spent most of the morning back in the courtyard. Alex allowed Kara to borrow her armour so she didn’t get any holes poked in her. In the beginning, before Alex had achieved her King’s Guard rank, the two would train every day. In each session, Alex would practically dance circles around Kara with her sword, blocking each and every blow with ease.

But now, three years later, the older Danvers sister did struggle to best her baby sister. Kara’s swordsmanship was excellent. The blonde had spent her years watching Lex practise in complete silence, picking up every move he knew. The prince could beat almost anyone in combat, and Kara took notice. She would write down and draw each tactic, then practise on Alex.

It was beginning to get dark when Kara decided she could go one more round with Alex’s brutally sharp sword. Each muscle in her arm screamed at her as she turned on her foot, taking another swish at the redhead. Alex’s armour was heavy, especially on the shoulders. Kara used to be clumsy in its movements, but now she had gotten used to it. She knew that if she moved her left arm forward too much to the right, it would clip and cut her skin. She knew that if she bent down without bending her knees, the top of her pelvic plate would dig into her abdomen and create a sharp pain.

Alex blocked Kara’s attack without batting an eyelid. She had a few holes in her tunic, and a slash on her sleeve where Kara had managed to get a particularly quick swing in. But it was nothing Maggie’s deft fingers couldn’t fix.

“Nope.” Alex teased as Kara swept for her knees and she blocked it again. Kara jabbed at Alex’s arm, which the redhead caught between her bicep and her side, holding it in place. Alex grinned again at her sister’s attempts. “Nope.”

Kara growled in frustration. “Rao’s sake.” She hissed to herself. Alex released the sword, and allowed Kara to make another move. This time the blonde stamped down on her sister’s foot and swung again.

Once again, Alex gritted her teeth and deflected the sword with her own. She smirked through the pain of another person putting all her weight onto her foot. “Still no.”

Kara’s face contorted in pain as Alex elbowed her in the jaw, sending her stumbling back. As Kara moved her hand to cup her face, Alex stepped forward and wrapped her own sword around Kara’s and then jolted it out of her grasp. The blonde tumbled to the floor and looked up to see her sister holding both swords and grinning back at her.

“Finished?” She chuckled.

Kara rolled her eyes and let her sister drop the swords to drag her to her feet. Brushing herself off, Kara sighed. “Fine, you win.”

Alex grinned, and handed her sister her sword back. “Don’t worry, you’ll be ready for the tournament.” She clapped a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Nervous?”

Kara shrugged. “A little.”

Alex shook her head. “I’m sure you’ll ace it.” She assured.

When Kara opened her mouth to reply, she was interrupted by a loud clattering of hooves on the cobbles. Turning around, Ghost came thundering into the courtyard. Lena was still sat on top of her, driving her madly towards the stables.

Kara immediately yanked off Alex’s armour, chucking it at her sister and then running after the bolting mare. By the time she managed to catch up to the pair, Ghost was stood in her stable and Lena was running – no, _sprinting_ – towards the castle with her hood pulled low over her face.

“Lena?” Kara called out but the princess disappeared inside the castle.

The blonde waited for a moment, and then saw Lena in the window of her bedroom, yanking the huge curtains shut. Kara frowned.

“Well, that was weird.” She muttered to herself as she slipped into Ghost’s stable.

Peering closer at the little mare, Ghost looked terrified. She was sweating so hard that Kara was going to have to give her a bath as well as a brush and the way she flinched when the squire reached out to touch her was unusual. With extreme delicacy, Kara removed Ghost’s bridle and hung it on its hook. The horse’s mouth was bleeding slightly, a small cut wedged into the corner of her mouth.

Kara applied some water to it, cleaning off the blood and then checking to make sure it wasn’t deep. She only became aware of Alex’s presence when her sister appeared at the doorway. The redhead leaned up against a post.

“Did Lena do that?” Alex pointed to the sweaty mare as Kara began running a brush over her flank.

Kara straightened up, frowning. “I don’t know. She ran off before I could ask if she was alright.” She said. “She doesn’t exactly strike me as the cruel type.”

Alex shook her head in agreement. “That girl could barely say boo to a goose, let alone injure her own horse. Maybe Ghost bolted?” She suggested, reaching out and touching the grey’s nose.

“I don’t think so. She ever do that with you?” Kara asked, beginning her brushing again.

Alex shook her head again. “Never. Maybe you should go after Lena, I can handle this.” She offered, placing her hand on her baby sister’s shoulder gently. “Make sure she is alright.”

Kara handed Alex the brush, but the redhead could sense her sister’s reluctance. “I’m sure she trusts you, Kara.” She reassured. “If Lex trusts you, I’m sure she does too.”

Kara nodded. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Alex watched as her sister jogged up to the castle before shaking her head and continued to brush the mare.

 

* * *

 

Kara knew the way to Lena’s room, even though it was on the opposite side of the castle to Lex’s. Winn’s and Sam’s rooms were just down the corridor. The princess’ door was shut, so Kara knocked on it gently.

“Lena? Are you alright?” She asked softly, not wanting to frighten the princess. When there was no reply, Kara knocked a little harder. Maybe Lena hadn’t heard her. “Lena? It’s me, Kara.”

 _“Go away.”_ Came a very quiet, but very firm reply. There was a pause, and then another answer. _“Please.”_

Kara pressed her ear up against the door. “If you want me to. At least tell me you’re okay.” The squire offered kindly.

 _“I’m fine.”_ Although Lena sounded like she was crying, Kara took it for an answer.

For the third time that day, when Kara opened her mouth she was interrupted again. This time, it was by Samantha Arias rounding the corner. Lena’s lady-in-waiting smiled at her curiously.

“Kara? Are you alright?” She asked, raising her eyebrow as the blonde pulled her heard away from the door.

“Sam! Yes, hi, hello. I mean, yeah I’m fine. I was just checking on Lena, she left in a hurry earlier.” Kara supplied sheepishly, pulling at the sleeves of her tunic.

Sam’s expression immediately turned to worry, and she approached the door. She knocked gently, in a different way to Kara. It was one long knock, then succeeded by three quick ones.

_“Sam? Is that you?”_

“Yes, m’lady, it’s me. Let me in?” Sam asked softly. 

There was short shuffle of movement before the door opened and Sam slipped in quietly. As she turned to shut the door behind her, Sam smiled kindly at Kara and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’. Kara smiled back, although she was still very confused. Without another word, the blonde turned and walked back to Ghost’s stable.

The mare had been put to bed, and Alex had left a note on the door that she had gone back to her own quarters. With a sigh, Kara took the note and returned to her room. Maybe tomorrow she’d get an answer out of Lena.


	4. Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm so sorry this took SO SO SOOOOO long but ive been so busy!

Kara didn’t talk to Lena again until Wednesday, but everyday since then had received the same order each morning from Sam. It was to get up half an hour earlier, brush Ghost off and tack the mare up. By the time Kara had gone to lay out Lex’s clothes for the day, the grey would be gone as would Lena.

With a shrug, Kara would complete her normal chores for the day and then find anything that needed cleaning. At six o’clock in the evening on the dot, Ghost would come thundering back into the courtyard, be thrust into Kara’s or Winn’s hands and be left abruptly with a cloak over the eyes and a figure hurrying into the castle.

It happened so much like clockwork that it became the talk of the group in the Flying Dragon. Winn agreed heavily with Kara that it was odd and maybe there was something wrong about Lena. After the second day, it had perked some mild interest in Maggie but the blacksmith didn’t seem to mind after Kara would take the grey to her practically every day. Alex, as usual, dismissed the notion that Lena was doing something weird, saying that perhaps the princess was just taking up a new hobby.

Kara didn’t think that Lena was the type of woman to take up horse-riding, more like the type to sit by the fireplace reading the stacks upon stacks of books that Winn was always going on about having to clean up. She didn’t find the fact that Lena went out every day on her horse as strange, more the behaviour she displayed upon her return.

It was like she didn’t want to look at Kara, let alone speak to her and wanted nothing more than to get away from her.

“I can’t exactly confront her about it.” Kara exclaimed in quiet frustration.

She and Alex were currently walking down the hallway to the stables. The entire royal family were going out for their monthly hunt which meant that the King’s Guard and the squires had to join. Lillian and Lena’s ladies-in-waiting didn’t have to attend if they didn’t want to but Kara and Winn had no choice, considering they were both equestrians.

“Why would you confront her?” Alex frowned, adjusting the grip on the golden helmet in her hand. “She’s part of the royal family, and you’re only a squire.”

Kara knew Alex hadn’t meant to come across harshly, but her words still stung. Still, she wasn’t going to let it bother her. “Well maybe she’s told Sam. Sam and I are friends.” She replied.

Alex scoffed. “When was the last time you invited Sam down to the Flying Dragon?”

Kara rolled her eyes, wanting to point out that Alex considered Ser James a friend and yet he didn’t ever visit, but kept her mouth shut. As they reached the end of the corridor, Kara could hear some sort of noise coming from behind the door. It sounded like shouting, two females against each other. Exchanging a confused glance with her sister, Kara pushed the door open into the courtyard.

Winn was stood in the courtyard, holding Ghost in one hand and Angus in the other. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kara hurry over and take the black stallion from him. Alex, meanwhile, went to retrieve her skewbald mare from one of the grooms.

“What’s going on?” Kara whispered.

“See for yourself.” He muttered back, nodding forward.

Kara took in the scene in front of her. Lena was stood, dressing in her usual riding cloak with her arms crossed and her mouth pursed tightly. Her eyes were glaring at the Queen, Lillian, in front of her with such venom it could’ve killed someone at twenty paces. Lex was stood beside his father nobly, with an expression of concern across his face. Lionel himself, didn’t seem very fazed by what was going on.

“Mother, I am not going. Not without Sam.” Lena hissed. “It’s barbaric anyway, killing animals for fun.”

“Lena, you will do as you are told.” Lillian spat in reply. “Samantha isn’t required on this trip.”

From Alex’s stories, Kara knew very well that Lena and Lillian’s relationship was somewhat strained. Or to put it bluntly, they absolutely hated each other and that was the reason Alex had gotten sores on the back of her ankles from standing still in court for so long.

“She is my friend, and I enjoy her company.” Lena pointed out with a furious expression.

Before Lillian could reply, Lex stepped past his mother and towards his sister. He reached out, touching her upper arm gently. “Sis, you know Sam doesn’t like horses. Why don’t you talk with Kara on our trip? I know you’ve taken a shine to her.” He offered.

Lex glanced over his shoulder to his blonde squire, who offered a sheepish grin in reply. Lena’s eyes followed her brother’s gaze to look at Kara. From her short distance, Kara could sense Lena’s sparkling emeralds softened slightly, and her whole body seemed to sigh with relaxation. The two stared each other for what seemed like an eternity before Lena gave the tiniest nod of approval.

“Alright.” She murmured, though she still didn’t sound pleased.

Lex grinned an easy smile and nodded contentedly. “Good, then let’s get going.”

Kara helped Lex into his saddle and made sure his riding cloak covered Angus’ flank before getting onto her horse, Oslo. She secured her own cloak around her figure, although hers wasn’t anywhere near as grand as Lena and Lex’s. Winn aided Lena into her side saddle and then mounted his own horse, a palomino mare named Abbie. Alex and the rest of the King’s Guard – twelve of them in total – waited patiently for the royal family before riding beside Lex and Lionel’s side.

Lena trotted Ghost alongside Kara whilst Winn was forced to ride next to Lillian. The party set out of the courtyard at a low trot. Whilst Lillian and Lionel stared straight ahead as they rode, Lena looked around the city eagerly. Kara noticed out the corner of her eye as the princess smiled and waved at excited children who stared back at the royal precession. Kara herself, offered a small wave in Maggie’s direction as the blacksmith leaned out of her smithy window and waved Alex and Kara goodbye. The knight only made a small smile in response.

Lionel and Lex chatted amongst themselves and the ever-loyal King’s Guard as they rode into the forest that Lena had been disappearing into over the past few days. Lena remained silent until they were about ten minutes into the wooded area.

“Are you not of the Danvers household, Kara?” Lena blurted out, taking the blonde by surprise.

Kara refrained from a frown, despite the woman’s bizarre question. “Technically, no. I was adopted when I was four.” She answered obediently. Kara gestured to her cloak. “I still wear the Danvers household cloaks though. They are my family.”

Lena nodded her understanding. “I notice your sigil is different.” She pointed out, glancing at the clip that held the squire’s cloak together.

Kara glanced down to the clip. A large metal circle, about the size of Kara’s palm, bore an S upon a shield into it, sporting the house of El. It was unlike her cloak, which was of the Danvers crest, a royal blue with a white hare running across it.

“Yes.” She continued proudly, puffing her chest out just a little. “My mother gave it to me before she died. It’s the house of El.”

Lena nodded again, this time smiling. “So, you come from nobility.” She noted. “How did you end up as my brother’s squire?”

Kara raised her eyebrow, but answered anyway. She did what Lena told her after all. “My adoptive father recommended me for Lex before he was killed.” She confessed.

“I’m to sorry to hear that. How did he die, if I may ask?”

Lena’s tone was gentle, something that Kara appreciated, although she was used to it. Whenever anyone asked about Jeremiah’s cause of death, it was often followed by the same old vocal sympathy.

Kara sighed gently. “They found his body in the woods. They declared it was a heart attack but Alex –“ She pointed to her sister riding ahead of her. “-thinks it was magic.”

Lena stiffened, suddenly holding her reins so tightly that her already pale knuckles turned even whiter. She looked to her left, hiding her eyes from Kara, but the blonde could hear that her breathing had changed. It sounded like she was gasping, like she had been held underwater and was trying to get air into her lungs.

“Princess? Your Highness, are you okay?”

Lena breathed for a few more moments, and Kara almost thought about maybe grabbing Lillian’s attention, but the dark-haired princess sat up straight again. She looked to Kara, her eyes straining to see slightly. “Yes….fine. Perfectly fine.” She answered, her voice straining. “I’m good, don’t worry.”

Kara decided to let it slide, although it looked like Lena was in pain. She wasn’t about to piss off the royal princess. She waited a few moments, riding on a little longer, before speaking again. “May I ask you something, Your Highness?”

“I told you, you can call me Lena. None of this ‘Highness’ crap.”

Kara only blinked her understanding. Although she respected Lena’s wishes, the princess had been in the local news more than once about who she let call her by her name and Kara didn’t wish to join the ranks of those who had been ejected from the castle. “Why do you go riding every morning?”

Yet again, Lena stiffened. She straightened; her neck going rigid, pulling her shoulders back, tightening her lips and resting her wrists on the pomme of her saddle. Raising her chin just a little so that she looked down at Kara. “I enjoy being away from the castle.” She said. Her tone wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t traced with the warmth it had been two minutes ago.

That was when Kara knew she had crossed a line. From her experience of having to cater to each of Lex’s needs, Kara did see a lot of Lena and could pick out the woman’s body language. But, in those years, the blonde had never spoken to the princess. She didn’t know what crossed Lena’s line, what pushed her boundaries. Now it was time to learn.

Kara tried a fresh attempt, gesturing to the woods around them and the party. “Because I can see why, its beautiful.”

What she said was true. The forest in late summer was stunning. Pine trees the size of skyscrapers towered above, with the green leaves matching the green of the Luthor household. Springs gushed out from rocks, leading to mighty waterfalls that crashed into the streams and rivers below. Deep, bowing valleys spread out as far as the eye could see, each filled with dozens of creatures all waiting to be discovered. In the darkest corners, castle ruins that were rumoured to still house runaway sorcerers could be found amongst the thick fog.

Looking at the trees surrounding them, Kara thought that they didn’t look like the Luthor green. They looked like Lena’s eyes. A beautiful mixture of green and blue all rolled into a beautiful vibrant teal that danced in the sunlight, much like the dapples of Ghost’s steely grey coat.

“You should see it in the morning.” Lena said quietly, gazing around at the clear blue sky above them.

As she looked up, the princess’ hood fell back and Kara nearly gasped. Lena had braided her hair into one long ponytail that rested in the middle of her back, but had woven intricate pieces of silver ribbon into it. The dark brown against the silver made a beautiful contrast to Lena’s pale complexion. Kara thought it was one of the most beautiful works of art she’d ever seen.

“Perhaps I should’ve joined you for that ride…” Kara murmured, almost to herself. Well, it almost would’ve been had Lena not had such sharp ears.

“I’m planning on riding out again tomorrow, perhaps you’d like to join me.” She stated.

Kara smiled so that her eyes crinkled. “I’ll do that.”

As Lena turned her face to smile approvingly, Ghost suddenly half collapsed underneath her. The jolt of fear from the horse beneath her made Lena wobble slightly, holding the reins so tightly her knuckles went even paler. Oslo’s reaction was much the same, but Kara held firm in the saddle. In front of them, all the other horses were also freaking out.

Lionel was on the ground, on his back like a flailing beetle. Lillian was in a blind panic as she was surrounded by some of the King’s Guard. Lex had dismounted from his horse and brandished his sword, Alex by his side with her own sword drawn. Winn, in his terror, had dismounted Abbie and was now doing his best to hold Lillian’s mare still. Kara looked to her left to see Lena had completely vanished from whatever invisible attack was going on.

“Lena!?” Kara yelled frantically above the noise.

A flash of royal green caught the corner of Kara’s eye, and she saw Lena’s familiar fur trimmed cloak disappearing into the woods. Before she came thundering after the princess, Kara checked over her shoulder. Alex, Lex and three other members of the King’s Guard were moving forward into the bushes. Seven knights still surrounded Lillian and Winn whilst the last two were hunched over the King, who was still flailing around on his back. Deciding the situation would be handled fine without her, Kara pursued the princess.

Oslo crashed through the undergrowth, following the hoofprints of the mare before him. Kara didn’t have to ride for long, only for around thirty seconds or so before they finally caught up to Lena. As she approached, Kara noticed how Ghost was stood completely still in a small clearing. Lena was perched on top of her, her cloak hood pulled up again over her head.

“Lena?” Kara cooed quietly, as though not to startle the princess. Perhaps Ghost had bolted and she was frightened, but it certainly didn’t seem that way. The way Lena still held complete composure and didn’t seem to particularly fazed by the attack on her family struck Kara as odd, although she knew the princess didn’t like to express a great deal of emotion.

“Your Highness? Are you alright?” She repeated, as Lena didn’t turn around.

The time Lena spoke, although she didn’t look around. “Sorry, I had to get away.” Her voice murmured softly, almost so that Kara didn’t hear her.

“I understand, I just have to make sure you’re safe. I’ve got no idea what’s going on.” Kara admitted, riding Oslo into the clearing.

When she Oslo’s hard breathing, Lena sat a little straighter. “Stay back.”

Kara froze. Lena’s tone wasn’t unfriendly, but it had enough authority to make Kara do as she was told. “Are you hurt?”

Lena shook her head. “I’m fine. Just stay where you are.”

Kara dismounted, and took a step forward. “Lena, we’re under attack. I need to make sure you’re okay because if you’re hurt-“

As she stepped forward again, her boot made contact with a stray twig, snapping it in two. Lena whirled around and suddenly Kara couldn’t move. Her feet were frozen in place, stock still like an ice sculpture. But Kara almost didn’t notice. She was transfixed by the features on Lena’s face.

Her usually warm smile was turned down at the corners and her normally bright green eyes were a deep yellow. A swirling storm of hazel brown and emerald green darkened the princess’ eyes as she fixed Kara with a hard glare.

“I said, stay back.”

Kara paled at the icy tone in Lena’s voice. “Lena….you-you’re a-“

Lena’s eyes suddenly dulled back to their normal green, but the hard stare remained. “Not a word, Kara.”

Before Kara could reply, faint yells were get closer and closer and suddenly one of the knights, James was crashing through the undergrowth behind Kara. Removing his helmet, Alex’s friend was sweating and a concerned look was in his eyes.

“Your Highness, are you alright? Kara?” He questioned.

Finding herself able to move again, Kara adjusted her grip on Oslo’s reins. Adding a quick glance to Lena, who had turned Ghost around, Kara looked to James. “We’re…fine. What’s going on?”

James let out a hard exhale, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can’t confirm anything until we get back to the castle, but it was a bandit attack. Been having a few lately, but….”

“What? What is it?” Kara questioned as he trailed off.

Lena halted Ghost up alongside Kara. “What is it, Ser Olsen?” She pressed, but Kara could hear the frightened tone in her voice.

James looked up at the princess and exhaled again, a sad look in his eyes. “The King is dead.”


End file.
